What to Do About Screen Time – A Diane Rehm Show Discussion

Click to check out the Common Sense Media research report’s infographic.

This past week I listened to New Research On Teens, Toddlers and Mobile Devices, an engaging radio program about digital parenting on The Diane Rehm Show (NPR). In early November 2015 Rehm featured four expert guests who thoughtfully examined the digital parenting issues that adults should consider when it comes to digital media and children. It was rebroadcast in December 2015.

A new year—with new devices and new considerations about rules and limitation—is a good time to listen to experts who can help adults think more carefully about how to define screen time and discuss the research (and the need for much more). This program can help adults guide children whose 21st Century lives are increasingly defined by digital activities.

Click to check not the CMCH tip sheet for preschoolers.

Screens are so ubiquitous in our world that decisions about family members’ screen time need to be made on the basis of a range of factors. Setting limits is important, but a one-size-fits-all definition of screen time is not a useful concept for most parents and families in today’s connected world.

Guests Included

Dr. Michael Rich, (A.K.A. The Mediatrician) who heads of the Center on Media and Child Health (CMCH) at Harvard University and Children’s Hospital in Boston. CMCH tip sheetshelp adults learn more about age-appropriate expectations for young people growing up in today’s digital world, and perhaps more importantly, what’s not appropriate.

Click to visit this book’s website.

Lisa Guernsey, the author of recently published Tap, Click, Read (2015), a book that aims to guide educators and parents who want to help their kids “…grow into strong, passionate readers using media of all kinds—print, digital, and everything in between.” Guernsey is the Deputy Director of the Education Policy Program at the New American Foundation;

Click to get downloadable version.

James Steyer, founder and CEO of Common Sense Media, which recently issued the report. The Common Sense Media website is a destination for parents who need to learn more about the digital world where their kids live, learn, and breathe. A favorite Common Sense resource that I’ve used with kids again and again is this how to decide what to share handout.

This recorded radio program recording contains interesting and useful digital parenting information, that it’s well worth making the time to listen to the entire interview.

Interesting Quotes

Dr. Michael Rich

Kids hear about one percent of what we say, but hear 100 percent of what we do.

We as a society have not created the long-term research to understand what is happening…

Lisa Guernsey

…to be alarmist and wring our hands about how much time, doesn’t get us deeply into the questions of those kinds of social interactions and what children are interested in, curious about, how they may want to go and explore new things because of what they’ve seen.

We know from the research on how children learn language skills and how they eventually learn to read is that they need a much deeper and rich conversation around, really, interesting and engaging content.

James Steyer

Two thirds of them [kids surveyed] say they multitask doing homework.

…we’re conducting the biggest experiment on our children’s lives in any of our lifetimes, with virtually no research.

Rachel Barr

…just as multitasking is distracting to teens and tweens, what we’re finding is that background television is also very distracting to toddlers.

…if the television is on and the baby is playing in the corner and it makes no sense to the child, every now and then the child will look up to see.

This Blog’s Mission

This blog’s mission is to help parents, teachers, and other adults learn more about helping digital kids grow into thoughtful, collaborative, and savvy digital citizens. With a range of information-filled posts on digital kids, edtech, digital parenting, medialit, and digital citizenship MediaTechParenting offers adults the opportunity to become familiar with media, the digital world, 21st century learning, and the virtual environment that young people take for granted, thereby serving as models and mentors for the children in their care.